Logos Technologies Demonstrates Kestrel for U.S. Border Security

Logos Technologies successfully showcased its Kestrel day/night wide-area persistent surveillance system at a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demonstration in Nogales, Arizona.

Funded by DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate, the week-long test allowed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to evaluate the already battle-proven Kestrel for border security use.

Mounted on a Raven Aerostar aerostat and working in tandem with an L-3 Wescam MX camera, Kestrel was able to scan a city-sized area and help CBP agents identify dozens of illicit activities in progress.

Thanks to the Logos-led team, authorities apprehended 30 suspects on the first night of the demonstration alone and made a total of 80 arrests over the course of the week.

“The coverage was amazing. We were able to see activities happening in different parts of the city all at the same time,” said a senior DHS official. “We could keep an eye on one area while dispatching agents to other areas.”

In addition to providing actionable, real-time information, the Kestrel team also demonstrated the significance of the system’s forensic capability.

While identifying illicit activities in real time, the Kestrel system could also rewind through its stored imagery, allowing operators to track the suspects back to their hideouts and monitor other illegal activities.

“It is immensely gratifying to support border security personnel,” said John Marion, Director of Logos’ Persistent Surveillance Division. “Getting these new tools into their hands is key to safeguarding our towns and cities.”

The Kestrel wide-area persistent surveillance system has already proven itself in Afghanistan, where it is mounted on aerostats and used to protect troops on forward operating bases.